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Ore
In the story, 8113, ore is a fictional iron-rich alloy metal found inside the cores of select terrestrial planets. It serves as a fuel that powers ships and ultra-terrestrial habitats such as the Six Colonies, and is also used in the creation of artificial magnetospheres, such as those found around Mars. In 8113 AD, ore is the most sought-after commodity in the Solar System and a key factor driving much of the story's plot and conflicts. Origin and history Ore (an iron-rich alloy with strong magnetic properties) was first discovered in the 2030's on a large meteorite named Kypher, and was originally set to be named kypherium. The meteor was tracked from a distant Solar System, called K3, and was determined to have come from an ancient planet that likely disintegrated or was blasted apart millennia prior. Kypher gave scientists a new insight into the chemical and physical properties that could be found deep inside a terrestrial planet. This led to the theory that all terrestrial planets with active magnetospheres contained this compound, and if harvested, could serve as a long-lasting energy source. A drilling project on the Moon a few years later detected 'ore' deep beneath its crust, identical in properties to kypherium, but also magnetically dead. The first sample of live ore was obtained in 2097 AD (pre-OT) during a drilling project on Mercury, initiated by the company Surge Systems. Live, unrefined ore was finally obtained, and the geodynamic generator was invented soon after to convert it into usable energy. A rapid acceleration in geodynamic technology soon after propelled the construction of the Six Colonies and drove the terraformation of Mars. Module-1 was established in order to refine and transport the mining products from Mercury to other places. After the Exodus period (2400 AD), Surge Systems was replaced by Vaux Refineries, which oversaw all ore mining on behalf of the UFC. The concept of the ultra-terrestrial geotomaton also emerged, first considered a marketing ploy, but it quickly proved its health and longevity benefits to humans, particularly those with robotic augmentations or those living in radioactive environments (eg: rural Mars). erwerg Geodynamism Ore contains geodynamic energy; a fictional source of energy that derives from planetary geomagnetism, and in turn generates magnetism. 'Pent up' energy, generated from the hot, iron-rich convection currents and ion radicals within a moving terrestrial body (the mantle), gathers in the solid iron core. When extracted from its source and connected to a copper coil (ie: a solenoid), the ore 'releases' that energy at a rate equivalent to the convection speeds at which it was obtained. This essentially creates an electromagnet, powerful enough to thrust ships into orbit, power colonies in space, and provide artificial atmospheres around other planets. Since planetary convection speed equals the output speed of geodynamism, the strength and lifespan of ore is relative to its planet of origin: Mercury's slow moving rotation and weak magnetosphere generates slow-releasing, weaker ore in its centre. On the other hand, Venus' volatile speeds and erratic magnetosphere creates a much more powerful product which degrades quicker. Earth is considered to be the Goldilocks planet of all ore, while bodies lacking an atmosphere altogether, such as the Moon, contain dead or inactive ore with no useful geodynamic properties. Geodynamic generators, made of ore and a copper solenoid, are the 'batteries' of the ultra-terrestrial world. They can be very large, such as those supplying a planet with a whole atmosphere, or very small, as found within the thumb-sized batteries implanted inside geotomatons. Geodynamism is not a renewable or infinite source of energy; ore degrades over time and 'rusts' in response to oxygen exposure. Rust is toxic to organic life, equivalent to heavy metal poisoning. Impurities and Geotomatons When raw ore is refined into a useable product, it will always contain impurities, often measured in parts-per-million. Ore-powered geotomatons, when surgically equipped with an ore battery into their physical body (an event that occurs in young infants and is celebrated as Acquisition Day), bond to a particular impurity that aligns with their individual make-up. Tolerance to impurities is often a familial trait, which is why surnames in the world of 8113 adopted mineral themes (Gibbsite, Rhodizite, Larimar, Vauxite, etc), which are often Anglicanized for simplicity (Gibbs, Rhodes, Vaux, etc). It is difficult later in life to adopt another impurity or another concentration of the same impurity, making this a lifelong commitment to one sub-type of ore. The rarity of the